Chanathip eyeing move abroad

21-year-old Chanathip put in a great shift and helped the War Elephants to win 4-3 on aggregate against Malaysia on Saturday, including scoring a stunning goal in the 88th minute to ensure the victory.

His great performances throughout the tournament saw him deservedly being named the Most Valuable Player – the third time a Thai has been given the award after Kiatisuk Senamuang and Therdsak Chaiman in 2000 and 2002 respectively.

The man fondly known as Messi Jay said that the award would not have been possible without his team-mates and supporters.

“I want to thank all of my team-mates in the team for helping me to improve my performance,” Chanathip told FourFourTwo.

“I also want to thank all the supporters and share this award with all of them.”

The attacking midfielder hopes that his Suzuki Cup performances caught the attention of the bigger leagues in Asia.

“In the future, I want to play in the K-League [in South Korea] and the J-League [in Japan],” he said.

“I’m still contracted to my club in Thailand, but I want to make it into [Asia’s] top clubs and leagues someday.”